Melissa Otterbein and her Pursuit for a Women’s Tour De France

Melissa Otterbein is a Towson alumna who is is doing something that no one else has done before. She is working hard to get a Tour De France race for women.  In a recent article in The Baltimore Sun, Otterbein said “I kind of look back and think that opportunities don’t always come for the most blessed but for those who are ready and looking—certainly looking.”  Otterbein is certaintly ready to change the popular Tour De France to include women and with this she is on the verge of changing the lives of female cycling athletes forever.  In a recent interview I had with Otterbein, here is what she said:

Q1. Tell us about your pursuit and passion in starting a Tour De France (TDF) women’s race—How did this all start for you?

 It started when I read an ESPN article on July 16 in which Tour De France race director Christian Prudhomme dismissed the idea of a women’s race with the waff of his hand (http://espn.go.com/sports/endurance/tdf2013/story/_/id/9482341/2013-tour-de-france-director-say-female-riders). I couldn’t believe that one man, with the waff of his hand, could deny women the opportunity to compete in an international pursuit. I was angry most of the day after reading this and felt a conviction to do something productive with this anger. The next day, I came across a Change.org petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/aso-amaury-sports-organization-allow-female-professional-cycling-teams-to-race-the-tour-de-france) started by four professional female cyclists/triathletes that’s currently been signed by over 94,000 people protesting Prudhomme to enact a competition for females in the TDF starting in 2014. I passed along the petition to local bike shops’ Facebook pages to elicit their support. That’s when it hit me: I could dedicate my August 2013 half ironman race in Boulder, CO to advocate for women in the TDF.

Q2. What progress has been made so far?

Over 94,000 people have signed the petition so far. Additionally, the four women who began the petition have created a website, Le Tour Entier (http://www.letourentier.com/manifesto) discussing strategies for implementation of the women’s TDF race as well as debunking myths about women’s cycling and educating the public about the need for parity in the area of women’s cycling. 

Q3. Tell us about the documentary “Half the Road,”

Half the Road is a documentary created by one of the petitioners, professional cyclist and sports journalist, Kathryn Bertine, to expose the inequalities that exist in cycling amongst males and females. It comes out this fall. I’m looking forward to buying it and sharing it with groups, organizations, and friends. (Here’s a trailer to the movie: http://halftheroad.com/)

Q5. What or who have been some of your biggest inspirations in life?

My biggest inspirations have been my dad and sister. My sister, 28, has Down Syndrome and has been involved in Special Olympics since 1993. My dad began coaching Special Olympics in 2003 when he noticed a need for more volunteers in their local track and field program. Now a head cross country and track and field coach, he doesn’t just show up; he puts passion in it. He has several Excel documents each season, documenting every athlete’s personal bests in each event and tracks their improvements. Seeing him put himself on fire has made me want to do the same.

Q6. What degree did you graduate with from Towson and what career has it brought you?

I graduated in 2009 with my BS in Family Studies and Community Development. I was planning on going into Peace Corps after college (that was my dream for four years) and a couple months after being accepted in fall 2009, I realized I wasn’t ready to go. I was thrilled when a few months later, I was hired as a research assistant at Johns Hopkins in their HIV/AIDS clinic. I’ve been there since spring 2010 working with people living with HIV/AIDS, assisting patients in staying connected to medical care and substance abuse treatment.

Q7. What was your favorite part of Towson University?

My favorite part of Towson was my student-athlete experience, which I often write about on my blog “Like Birds on Trees” (http://melissaotterbein.wordpress.com/2013/02/10/four-letters-on-a-t-shirt/). Though there were some months I fought to hang on, there’s not a day that goes by without a sense of pride from making it through those four years of Division I swimming. I constantly feel like I am re-learning lessons from Burdick Hall. The experience gave me confidence that I can do hard things, whether physically, mentally, or anything in between. We were given t-shirts one year with “I CAN” written on the back in bold letters. That “I CAN” message keeps resurfacing today, long after the swim meets have ended. “I CAN” now looks like the power, or dare I say the responsibilty, to help evoke an “I CAN” in someone else. My desire to spark an “I CAN” in someone else is so heavily motivated by my swimming experience at Towson.

Q8. What advice do you have for other people out there who are trying to make a difference in something that seems almost impossible?

Do something. As cliché as it might sound, when something tugs on your heart, the world needs you to do something. I’ve felt powerless and angry in the past when I encountered gender inequality but my experience in advocating for women’s participation in the TDF taught me to not be silent and to be more bold. When you want to change something, simply don’t be silent. You can write your message on a t-shirt. You can promote your beliefs and convictions via social media. You can write, you can sing, you can dance but you simply can’t be silent. When (and not if) we see women competing in the TDF for the first time, it will be because people spoke up, deciding not to put up with inequality. Don’t put up with inequality and be vocal—it may feel like your circle of influence is small, but if each of us spoke up in our respective circles, we would absolutely see change.

Q9. When is your next triathlon event to promote your goal?

I’ve been considering doing a full Ironman (140.6 miles) in 2014, but am really enjoying the half ironman (70.3 miles) series. I would love to take the “until we all can race” message to a world audience again, so I might stick with the 70.3 series for one more year and take some time over the next month or two to choose a race to do next summer. The training, however, will begin now :)

Q10.  What was the result of the event you just competed in—the Triathlon World Championships in Las Vegas?

I came in 40/74 in my age group. Though I wish I would have placed higher, this is the first time I’ve ever competed in an international race, so I’m taking it as a learning experience. I added a few minutes to my time from Boulder but considering the course was much more challenging, with 6 out of the 13 miles of running all uphill and 2500 feet of climbing on the bike, I’m ok with this. This taught me not to necessarily compare races and to take each race one step at a time. I’m looking forward to the challenge of improving my time and overall place in the future.

Q11. Anything else you want the readers to know? 

Competing in a half ironman has been on my “bucket list” since I was a freshman at Towson. I want everything in my life to have a purpose and I couldn’t figure out why it kept tugging at my heart to sign up for the race, and sign up soon. Now I see how this was a perfect platform for me to do something about my convictions and beliefs. If something tugs on your heart, don’t question it; there’s a reason that challenge or dream is on your heart. 

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